1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an automatic bill storage device which stores accommodated bills and more specifically to an automatic bill storage device in which a bill is contacted by a pair of storing bars which move in a loop-like motion within and outside the safe to move the bill into storage.
2. Description of Related Art
In this specification, xe2x80x9cbillxe2x80x9d is a generic term which may include a banknote, folding money, a script, a check a security bond, a coupon or a ticket, or any other elongated flexible members which are to be stored in a stacked arrangement.
An example of the prior art for an automatic bill storage device for storing money in a safe can be found in the Japanese patent publication 8-109354. In this prior art, a receiving bill is held in a safe by posts which are fixed to a pair of rotating disks which rotate in opposite directions from each other. This prior art is relatively inexpensive because of its simple structure. However, it requires a large space because it can not hold bills in the rotating area of the posts. Other examples of prior art can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,589 and 5,836,435 which discloses various configurations of stacking banknotes in a cash box.
The industry is still seeking a compact and efficient bill storage apparatus.
The present invention is directed to an automatic bill storage device for storing bills in a compact and efficient manner, and more particularly to an automatic bill storing device that includes a bill loading device for initially receiving a bill and positioning it at an initial storage position within the bill storage device. The bill can be initially validated to determine if it is genuine before it is translated to the initial storage position. The storage space for the bills can include a retainer member that is located on one side of the initial storage position. The bill can be moved, for example, by belts and/or rollers to the initial storage position and a bill contact device can engage the bill at the initial storage position and translate the bill to the other side of the retaining device to the storage location. The retaining device can have an aperture at its center for permitting the bill to move to the storage location. A spring biased support plate can be biased towards the initial storage position to provide a support for the stored bills.
A contact member can contact an intermediate portion of the bill and translate the bill past the retaining member and if the retaining member has an aperture through the aperture with the contact member providing a moving contact to the surface of the bill as it extends from the intermediate portion of the bill towards one end of the bill as it is moved towards the storage location and extended in one plane. A second bill contact member can also be utilized to both push the bill towards the storage location and to maintain the position of the bill as the first contact member translates from an intermediate position towards one end of the bill. In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of contact members can be pivotally mounted to respectively contact intermediate portions of the bill and then to extend a pushing contact towards the opposite ends of the bill as it is moved towards the storage location. The respective contact members move in a loop-like motion as they translate along the length of the bill. The particular configuration of the components in the manner in which the components relatively move help facilitate a compact design to enable the automatic bill storage device to be utilized, for example, in vending machines. The bills can be stored in a manner in which they are not folded, but remain in a straight condition, and can be stored in a stacked array within a safe box, which is located on the other side of the aperture opening. Additionally, since the pair of contact members can contact the bill initially at an intermediate position as it is forced through either an aperture in a restraining device, or around the edge of a restraining device, the bills need not be precisely located, but can still be drawn safely into the storage location. In one embodiment, a storing bar can contact an intermediate or central point of the bill, while the contact members can extend in traverse directions from the storing bar for bending and moving the bill from the initial storage position to the storage location.
An alternative device can have a holding member contacting a lower portion of the bill as the contact member forces the bill around a restraining member and again extends traverse to the movement of the bill towards one end of the bill on the other side of the restraining member.